Railway truck with lateral motion



Dec. 21, 1954 J, C, TRAvlLLA, JR 2,69%,405A

RAILWAY TRUCK WITH LATERAL MOTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 7, 1949 Dec 2l 1954 J. c. TRAvlLLA, JR 2,697,405

RAILWAY TRUCK wrm LATERAL MOTION Filed Feb. '7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3.

FIG. 5. i u gf @a7 rr'x United States Patent O RAILWAY TRUCK WITH LATERAL MOTION James C. Travilla, Jr., University City, Mo., assignor to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application February 7, 1949, Serial No. 74,880

9 Claims. (Cl. 10S- 190) The invention relates to railway rolling stock and more particularly to railway trucks of the type in which the load supporting bolster and truck frame have relative movement laterally of the truck to accommodate track irregularities, alternate tangent and curved track and other conditions tending to create side thrusts between the Vehicle body and the truck.

The main object of the invention is to improve the riding qualities of railway cars used in high speed service.

Another object is to stabilize the railway truck bolster against undue tilting transversely of the truck yet have a desired amount of lateral exibility.

Another object is to provide a relatively compact swing hanger arrangement including main swing hangers for supporting the bolster and auxiliary swing hangers for independently supporting a pair of cross members mounting the main swing hangers.

Another object is to provide relatively long main swing hangers, and auxiliary swing hangers only a little shorter than the main swing hangers, whereby greater lateral exibility is obtained than in trucks without auxiliary bolsters or without auxiliary springs or other resilient means.

These and other detail objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the following description and reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top view of a longitudinal half of a fourwheel truck embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is in part a side view and in part a longitudinal vertical section taken approximately on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 are vertical transverse detail sections taken approximately on the corresponding section lines of Figure 2.

The truck includes wheel and axle assemblies 1, journal boxes 2 which support equalizers 3 on which are mounted truck springs 4 which carry a truck frame 5 having wheel pieces 6.

Pairs of brackets 7 are formed integral with each wheel piece 6 and extend outwardly thereof and are spaced longitudinally of the wheel piece. An auxiliary swing hanger 8 is suspended from each bracket 7 by a pin 9. A pair of independent cross members 10 extend transversely of the frame below the wheel pieces 6 and each cross member 10 is pivoted at its ends to pairs of auxiliary swing hangers 8 at opposite sides of the truck. Each cross member 10 has a bifurcated upward extension 11 at each end positioned outwardly of the associated wheel piece and between the associated pair of auxiliary swing hangers 8 and extending upwardly to approximately the level of brackets 7.

A main swing hanger 12 is suspended by a pin 13 from the upper portion of each upward extension 11 and between each pair of auxiliary swing hangers 8. Pins 13 are positioned slightly outwardly of the wheel pieces from pins 9 but at substantially the same height as pins 9.

Main swing hangers 12 are a little longer than auxiliary swing hangers 8 and a cross bar 14 extends longitudinally at each side of the truck and below the adjacent auxiliary swing hangers and is supported by the main swing hangers at the same side of the truck. A transverse beam or spring plank 15 extends across the truck and is mounted at its ends on cross bars 14. Bolster springs 16 are seated on spring plank 15 directly over the cross bars 14. A bolster 8 17, having a center plate 18 for mounting a car body (no t shown) is yieldingly supported at its ends by said springs.

A railway truck constructed according to the invention has the desired lateral ilexibility without the use of auxiliary bolster springs or other resilient means and the bolster is well stabilized against undue tilting from a substantially horizontal plane because the auxiliary and main swing hangers and the bolster springs are positioned outwardly of the wheel pieces, thus providing supports for the cross members, the spring plank and the bolster outwardly of the wheel pieces.

To further improve the riding qualities of the truck, shock absorbers 19 may be attached to the associated ends of the bolster and spring plank to damp bolster spring action. Also, shock absorbers 20 may be connected between the bolster and truck frame to damp bolster movement laterally of the truck frame, and tie bars 21 may be connected between the bolster and truck frame to limit movement of the bolster longitudinally of the truck frame.

All the upper swing hanger pivot pins are at the level of the wheel pieces and the auxiliary swing hangers are only a little shorter than the main swing hangers and this provides for greater flexibility than if the auxiliary swing hangers were substantially shorter than the main swing hangers.

The swing hanger arrangement is compact and provides ample space to accommodate the bolster coil springs.

All the swing hangers, and their cross bars, are so positioned that they are readily accessible for inspection and replacement and where they will not interfere with brake gear or other truck parts between the wheel pieces.

The details of the construction may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of novel structure as described and coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truck, a frame having wheel pieces, auxiliary swing hangers suspended from said wheel pieces, structure extending transversely of the truck and supported by the auxiliary swing hangers, main swing hangers suspended from said structure, a load carrying bolster, and means supporting the bolster from the main swing hangers, said auxiliary swing hangers, said main swing hangers and said bolster supporting means being positioned wholly outwardly of the wheel pieces, and means spacing the lower ends of corresponding hangers at opposite sides of the truck so that the hangers are inclined downwardly and outwardly from their supports.

2. In a railway truck, a frame having wheel pieces, auxiliary swing hangers suspended from each of said wheel pieces and spaced longitudinally ofthe frame, independent cross members extending transversely of the truck and supported by the auxiliary swing hangers at opposite sides of the frame, main swing hangers suspended from said cross members, a load carrying bolster, and means supporting the bolster from the main swing hangers, all of said auxiliary swing hangers and said main swing hangers at one side of the truck being in substantial alignment longitudinally of the truck and being positioned wholly outwardly of the corresponding wheel piece.

3. In a railway truck, a frame having wheel pieces, auxiliary swing hangers, pins positioned at the level of the wheel pieces and suspending said hangers from the frame, structure extending transversely of the truck below the wheel pieces and supported by the auxiliary swing hangers, upward extensions at each end of said structure, main swing hangers, pins positioned at the level of the wheel pieces and suspending said main swing hangers from said extensions, all of said pins and all of said swing hangers being positioned outwardly of the wheel pieces and all the pins at one side of the truck being in substantial alignl o hangers and holding their lower ends spaced farther apart than their upper ends, main swing hangers suspended from the' ends of saidv cross members' outwardly of the wheel' pieces, a spring plank holding the lower ends of said main swing hangers spaced farther apart than their upper ends, and a load carryingbols'ter yieldingly supported outwardly of the wheel pieces from said main swingv hangers.

5. In a railway truck, wheel and axle ass'erblies,A a frame'having wheel pieces at each side positioned outwardly of the wheels, auxiliary swingv hangersy pivotally suspended from each side of the truck outwardly of th wheel piece and spaced apart longitudinally of the truck at opposite sides of the transverse center line of the truck, cross members extending from sidey to side of the truck atl opposite sides of the transverse center line of the truck with their ends supportedVv on the lower ends of said swing hangers' and holding the lower endsv ofv said swing hangers spaced apart a greater distance than their pivoted upper ends, a main` swingA hanger pivotally suspended directly from each end of each cross member outwardly of the associated wheelV piece', a spring" plank extending from side to side of the truck below the level of said cross members and supported directly by the lower ends of the main swing hangers and' holdingthe Alower ends of the main swingV hangers spaced apart. a greater distance than their pivoted upper ends, andl a loadca'r'ryiig lbiolster spring-supported at its ends upon the'- spring p an p v 6. In a railway truck, wheel and axle assemblies7 a frame having wheel pieces at each side of the truck and' positioned outwardly of the wheels,l a' pair of auxiliary swing hangers suspended from the outer sidev of each wheel piece at each side of the transverse center line of the truck, a cross member extending' transversely of the truck at each side of the transverse center line' of the truck beneath said wheel pieces and havingfbifur'cated ends, each pivotally connected to the low'er end 'of one of the auxiliary swing hangers, a main swing hanger pivotally suspended from each en d' of each of said cross members and positioned between its bifurcationsg-a cross vv bar carried by the lower ends of the main` swing hangers at each side of the truck', a'spring plank extending tr'ansversely of the truck beneath the level of said cross memL bers and' supported at its ends on said cross bars, and al load-carrying bolster spring-supported on said` springAv planks.

7. A railway truck structure as described in claim' 1 iii which the angle of inclination of the' auxiliary swing 8. In a railway truck, wheels and axles, a truck frame including wheel' piecesV positioned outwardly of the truck from the wheels, auxiliary swing hangers pivotally suspended from the outer side of each of said wheel pieces at each side of the transverse center line of the truck, parallel beams extending transversely of the truck and rigid from end to end and supported at their ends from said hangers, and each provided with a rigid upstanding element at each end extending upwardly approximately to the level `of Athe points of` suspension of the auxiliary hangers, main swing hangers suspended from the upper portions of said upstanding elements and extending downwardly approximately to below the level of the lower ends of said' auxiliary hangersg a cross bar at each side of the truck carriedby the lower ends of the corresponding main swing hangers, all of said'swing hangers at one side of the truck being in substantial alignment longitudinally of the truck, and a load supporting bolster extending fronr side to side of the truck with its ends supported' from .said latter-mentioned cross'bars.

9. In a railway truck, wheels andy axles, a truck'frarne including wheel pieces positioned outwardly of the truck from' the wheels, a'pair of auxiliary swing hangers pivr otally suspendedfrom'the outer side of each of said wheel pieces at each side ofA the transverse center line of the truck', parallel beams extending transversely of'the truck and' rigid `from end tol end', each being supported at each of its ends'directly from the lower ends of a pair of said hangers,` each of said beams being provided with `a rigid upstanding element at each end extending upwardly approximately to the level of the points of suspension of said hangers; main' swing hangers suspended directly from theupper portions'of said upstanding elements; and extending: downwardly approximately to below the level of said beams, a cross bar at each side of the truck carriedby the lower ends of the corresponding main swing hangers, all of said swing hangers'at one side of the truck being in substantial alignmentlongitudinally of the truck, and a load supporting bolster extending fromside to side of the truck with its ends spring supported from said latter-mentioned cross bars.

References' ited in the le of this patent UNrrED STATES4 PATENTS Number Name Date 2,129,910 Christiansonetal.' Sept. 13, 1938 2,129,911 Christiansen et al Sept. 13'," 19,38, 2,333,058 Travilla Oct. 26, 1943 2,434,287 Pilager Jan. 13, 1948 

